U.S. Energy: For Jobs, and Opportunity

Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) Editorial: With thoughtful planning and focused leadership, Virginia could be a titan of production and one the most important states for energy on the East Coast. Our natural resources have the commonwealth poised to be a national leader in energy, and properly utilizing them could create thousands of jobs and generate billions in revenue.

It is challenging to strike a balance between traditional energy sources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, and emerging renewables like wind and biomass. The Virginia Energy Plan, updated every four years by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, serves as a guide.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe framed himself as a pragmatic leader and talented deal maker in his quest for Virginia's top office, and updating the Energy Plan is an ideal situation in which to maximize those skills. Directing the commonwealth from its present position to those lofty goals will be difficult, and we hope the governor is up to the task.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Schaper is a Digital Communications Manager for the American Petroleum Institute. She previously worked on Capitol Hill for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as Digital Director and for Senator Lisa Murkowski. Before coming to D.C., she spearheaded digital strategy for Murkowski's successful Senate write-in campaign in 2010. Schaper enjoys traveling and taking in the local culture alongside her husband, their son and loyal springer spaniel.

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Energy Tomorrow is a project of the American Petroleum Institute – the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry – speaking for the industry to the public, Congress and the Executive Branch, state governments and the media.